Wuling: owner, models, markets and what the name means
Facts checked United States status as of 4 September 2026
Wuling makes the cheapest vehicles in China. The name comes from the Liuzhou Power Machinery Factory in Guangxi, founded in 1958, which moved from tractors to small commercial vehicles and put the Wuling badge on its first minivan in the early 1980s.
Since November 2002 the brand has been carried by SAIC-GM-Wuling, the joint venture in which SAIC Motor holds 50.1%, General Motors 44% and Guangxi Automobile Group 5.9%. Its products are microvans, minitrucks and small cars aimed at buyers in smaller cities and the countryside, where they double as work vehicles.
The brand's best-known model is the Hongguang MINI EV, a four-seat electric city car launched in 2020 that passed 1.1 million cumulative sales by February 2023 and sold 424,983 units in 2025. Wuling also sells the Bingo and Xingguang and a range of electric commercial vehicles.
Wuling-badged vehicles are also sold outside China, most visibly in Indonesia, where SGMW opened the first wholly Chinese-owned car plant in the country. Some SGMW products have been exported wearing Chevrolet badges instead, in markets where GM prefers its own brand.
The brand is used by SAIC-GM-Wuling, the Liuzhou joint venture owned 50.1% by SAIC Motor, 44% by General Motors and 5.9% by Guangxi Automobile Group. Guangxi Automobile Group also uses the Wuling name on its own commercial vehicles, so the badge appears on products from two related companies.
Key facts
| Chinese name | 五菱 “WOO-ling” 五 'five' + 菱 'water caltrop', a plant whose seed is diamond-shaped — the badge is five diamond shapes arranged as a W |
|---|---|
| Also written | Wuling Motors, SGMW Wuling and Wuling Auto |
| Owner | SAIC-GM-Wuling |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Headquarters | Liuzhou, China |
| Origin | China |
| First car | Wuling LZ110 minivan, 1982 |
| Vehicles | Cars and commercial vehicles |
| Segment | Mass market |
| United States | Never sold in the United States — Wuling vehicles have never been sold in the United States under that badge, and none has been announced, despite General Motors' 44% share of the joint venture that builds them. |
| Factory origin | Liuzhou Power Machinery Factory, established in Liuzhou, Guangxi, in 1958 |
| Who makes Wuling cars | SAIC-GM-Wuling, owned 50.1% SAIC Motor, 44% GM China, 5.9% Guangxi Automobile Group |
| Hongguang MINI EV sales | 424,983 in 2025; more than 1.1 million cumulative by February 2023 |
| SGMW sales, January–August 2026 | 916,523 vehicles |
| Overseas plant | PT SGMW Motor Indonesia, the venture's first wholly owned factory abroad |
Who owns Wuling?
SAIC-GM-Wuling controls Wuling since 18 November 2002.
SAIC-GM-Wuling makes and sells the Wuling passenger and light commercial vehicles. The Wuling name is also used separately by Guangxi Automobile Group on its own commercial range, so the badge appears on products from two related companies.
The full ownership page for Wuling · Is Wuling Chinese?
Wuling models
| Model | Name in China | Body | Powertrain | Range | Price in China |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 五菱晴空Wuling Air ev | Wuling Air ev (五菱晴空) | Hatchback | Battery-electric | not published | CNY 57,800 as of |
| 五菱缤果Wuling Bingo | Wuling Bingo (五菱缤果) | Hatchback | Battery-electric | 203 km CLTC | CNY 56,800 as of |
| 五菱宏光MINIEVWuling Hongguang Mini EV | Wuling Hongguang MINIEV (五菱宏光MINIEV) | Hatchback | Battery-electric | 120 km NEDC | CNY 44,800 as of |
| 五菱星光Wuling Starlight | Wuling Starlight (五菱星光) | Saloon | Offered with more than one powertrain | 410 km CLTC | CNY 92,800 as of |
Where Wuling is sold
Recorded in 2 market s: CN and Indonesia. Where a company publishes only its principal markets, that is a floor and not a complete list.
| Country | Code | Market page |
|---|---|---|
| China | CN | no page yet |
| Indonesia | ID | Chinese cars in Indonesia |
Wuling: questions people ask
- Is Wuling Chinese?
- The brand is Chinese and the cars are designed and built in China. The company that makes them, SAIC-GM-Wuling, is Chinese-controlled — SAIC Motor holds 50.1% and the Guangxi provincial group 5.9% — with General Motors holding 44%.
- Who owns Wuling?
- SAIC-GM-Wuling holds the brand for passenger and light commercial vehicles. Its shareholders are SAIC Motor (50.1%), GM China (44%) and Guangxi Automobile Group (5.9%). Guangxi Automobile Group also uses the Wuling name on its own separate commercial-vehicle range.
- What does Wuling mean?
- 五菱 (Wǔlíng) means 'five water caltrops'. 菱 is also the word for a diamond or rhombus shape, and the badge is five diamonds arranged to read as a W.
- Is the Hongguang MINI EV sold outside China?
- Versions of SGMW's small electric cars are sold in Indonesia and some other Asian markets, sometimes under different names. There is no United States or European Union sale of the Hongguang MINI EV.
Related
Sources for Wuling
- SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co., Ltd., About SGMW. Read . The 1958 Liuzhou lineage, the shareholding, the brands and the Indonesian plant.
- Wikipedia, Wuling Hongguang Mini EV. Read . Year-by-year sales including 424,983 in 2025 and the 1.1 million cumulative figure of February 2023.
- SAIC Motor, Sales Volume (monthly production and sales report). Read . SAIC-GM-Wuling volumes for August 2026 and the year to date.
- Wikipedia, Guangxi Automobile Group. Read . The two companies that use the Wuling name and the 1982 start of Wuling-badged vehicles.